Fire and Water
by Honeycreeper
Summary: Set post First Class. Erik has to make a decision, lest his life's purpose be thrown into chaos. However, his new lover is making it hard for him. MagnetoxMystique. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

A/N : I always liked the Magneto/Mystique pairing but never felt the need to write about them until seeing FC. So here's my first try!

**Fire and Water**

He awoke to the sound of her breathing. It was calm and deep, yet for some reason it had startled him awake. Erik had become so accustomed to being alone, sleeping alone, that another person's presence made him uneasy. Erik had often jumped at any slight noise he heard, and been ready with all sorts of weaponry by his side. A knife, for instance, so he could send it flying through the air if anyone dare disturb his slumber. Yet here he was, the presence of a charming young woman in bed with him.

There was no running from her now. Just a few nights before he'd told her she'd been too young, too innocent, to corrupt in such a manner. It was only a matter of time before he gave in. He might have a mutated mitochondrial gene, but he was still only a man, suffering from the same hormone trips as every other male on the planet.

"Don't you like me, Erik?" she'd cooed, her breath so close to his ear. "You said I was beautiful,"

And she was beautiful. The aura of youth no doubt had something to do with it. She was so hopeful, so unburdened by the world. Erik wanted that. He wanted it for himself. He wanted to be the boy she deserved, to be unmarred by the years of torment and pain he'd lived through.

But he was weak. In these moments he was only human. He'd taken her forcefully that night, ashamed of himself, mortified by the bright red marks he'd left all over her dark skin. But she'd done it to him. She'd pushed him to this by teasing him, by strutting around in the nude, the curves of her body enticing him.

Raven was strong though. She didn't cry out, and when he took all there was of her she smiled up at him, holding him as if he was the most precious thing in the world. He knew then that she would make him love her as well. Of course he_ did _love the girl, he cared for her very much - but there was something that made him feel as though she spelled his doom. Erik ran his hands over her deceptive skin, wondering if he even knew her at all. She could change in an instant. Turn on him in an instant. _It would be wise to sleep with one eye open_, he thought.

He stroked her hair, and felt her stir against him. His thoughts drifted to the past few days. Everything he'd seen. He didn't let his mind slip to those few words Charles had mentioned to him.

_Killing Shaw will not bring you peace._

Charles had been wrong. Killing Shaw brought him immense gratification, unlike anything he'd ever felt. He didn't pay attention to that small darkness in the back of his mind, the darkness of knowing he could not bring back what he desperately wanted. Instead he looked towards a new future, the one he was intent on building for himself.

He had things to do now. He was finally becoming the man he knew he was meant to be. Deep inside he'd always remained a scared little boy, a slave to stronger adults who only wanted to hurt him. He would always be crippled in that sense. Except now the boy had grown, and had powers beyond his wildest imagination.

Erik looked down at Raven who was still sleeping deeply. He fought the warm feelings growing in his chest. _She's your comrade, your companion; not your lover. Remember that._

He lifted up her arm and slipped out of bed, inhaling her soft scent once more before tucking her in. "Sweet dreams, Mystique." he whispered with a small grin, making his way as quietly as he could without waking her.

Tomorrow would be unpleasant, he knew. Raven would want this treatment every night, or as much as he was willing to give her. It was going to crush her once he told her he never intended on spending the night in her bed again.

Erik fumbled over words in his brain, how to say it, what his tone should be. A stern father? A sympathetic friend?

The Brotherhood had been hiding in an abandoned house in the Virginian Appalachia. It seemed as if no one had walked these halls in 30 years. The floor creaked under Erik as he walked to the balcony, and he looked out into the dense forest. Who knew what laid beyond, what was in store for him. He would've prayed to God for protection, if he still believed in him. Despite the great powers bestowed upon him, Erik knew deep inside that God stopped believing in him many years ago.

A/N: This is going to be continued, although I'm not sure yet how long it will turn out to be.


	2. Chapter 2

**Fire and Water**

Chapter Two

As the morning sun broke through the clouds, Erik was in the master bathroom, pulling on new clothing for the day. He felt around him, sensing the various metal objects in the room. It had always been a lingering thought as to how others felt in the world. Could they really not feel the sensation of the magnetic field around them? Since he was a toddler Erik could remember it, sitting in his high chair and reaching for a spoon, feeling it pulling towards him. That was the first time he'd ever moved an object. His mother had seen the whole thing and screamed when she saw the spoon fly through the air and into her two year old son's hand. Despite her surprise she'd always encouraged Erik, and managed to keep it a secret from her husband and neighbors.

Erik sensed the hunk of metal that was hidden in the bath tub, and gently lifted it, watching it levitate to him. He put it on, not taking any chances. He didn't know where Xavier, or any other telepath was, but in case their wandering minds looked for him he made sure he wouldn't be found. He chuckled when he saw himself in the mirror. The helmet looked ridiculous, but it did get the job done. He frowned then, realizing that for now the majority of his time had to be spent in it. The sensation of metal against his skull was strange, and he felt a tingling all over the skin of his head. Nevertheless, precautions had to be taken.

There was a knocking at the door. "Hello? Anyone in there?" said Raven, her voice quiet.

Erik froze. "Uh, I'm here. One minute." he said to her, buttoning up his shirt and pulling on a leather coat. When he opened the door she widened her eyes in surprise.

"Something wrong, Raven?"

"Oh, no, it's just, that helmet." she said hesitantly. Erik had neglected it for the past few days, being as escape was easy from any place with Azazel around. Now that they'd been here for almost forty eight hours, he'd resumed using it.

"You know I have to. It's not safe to stay in one place so long."

Raven nodded, "Yeah." she looked past him, "Can I?"

"Oh certainly," Erik said, moving out of her way. She smiled wistfully at him as she closed the door. A few moments later Erik felt her turn the faucet on, followed by the sound of water sputtering out of the old pipes. He'd already tried to scrub her off his skin earlier. Despite a cold shower he could still taste her in his mouth, and shivered at the thought of her lips against him.

Shrugging off the thoughts of the previous night, Erik made his way into the study, which was an impressive size for being in a simple vacation home. The place was unsettling, Erik didn't know what had become of these people, or why they left all their books and furniture. Had they been ripped away in the middle of the night? Disappeared on the road home? Or had they simply not wanted to return? Erik feared for those who were missing. He knew exactly what could become of the so called 'missing' persons.

Riptide was already there, sitting in one of the arm chairs, reading a beat up old book.

"What's that, Janos?" Erik said, pointing towards it.

"Dunbar. Moving stuff. Revolutionary for it's time, no?" Janos placed the book down and stared at Erik intently. "But besides that, I've got a request of you."

"And what's that?" Erik had been wary of the boy. He was the most cunning of Shaw's associates, and though he'd chosen to fight beside him in the Brotherhood, Erik was unsure of where his loyalties were.

"One of my partners, Emma Frost, the telepath. She was with you last. She's a powerful woman, we could use her. I want her back."

Erik cocked his brow, "And you want me, personally, to find her?"

"It is your duty. You're the reason she was captured in the first place."

"You know I'm not too fond of -"

"You're not fond of me either, I know. Please realize I was using Shaw for my own gain, I never trusted him."

"And me? You don't trust me?"

Janos pursed his lips, "Not quite. I believe you, Erik, about your vision, but I know you would get rid of me the first chance you got."

Erik snorted, "You're not as dense as I thought."

"Well what do you say? Will you help me find her?"

The tingling on his scalp reminded him of the mental block that separated he and Frost. She couldn't harm him now.

"I will."

XXX

"I don't like the feeling of this," Raven whispered once they were behind closed doors. After a brief meeting of the Brotherhood, they'd all decided to go ahead and make the journey to find Frost. Raven had followed Erik to his room, walking silently next to him, a distinct look of fear on her face.

"Then tell me your worries." Erik said.

"How do you know they don't want revenge? Who's side are they on?"

Erik nodded, "I understand what you're saying, Raven. I have to give this a try if us Mutants are ever to unite. Frost might be an integral piece of the puzzle. We need her, we need her especially if Xavier chooses to track us."

Raven closed her eyes, "What will he do? Follow us? The man won't even get out of bed."

It was true. Raven had asked to be brought to Charles to make sure he was fine. She and Azazel made a night trip three days before. By the time she got there he cursed her and screamed that he never wanted to see her again. The reality of his injury had sank in. He'd fallen into a deep depression, not eating, not sleeping. Moira was taking care of him, turning him over and changing his bed sheets. It was dehumanizing for him, to be the burden of others.

He didn't want to see anyone, but Moira thought seeing his sister would be a good thing. When he caught sight of Raven in her natural blue form, he just screamed and screamed, banging his head against the bedpost like a child. Raven was scared, she'd never seen him like that. Moira had chased her out, "You have to go now," she said, "And don't come back for a while."

Erik remembered that night. Raven had collapsed in his arms weeping, so scared and hurt by what was happening to Charles. It was just another layer of guilt on his subconscious, not only had he hurt Xavier, but Raven as well.

"Charles will accept it eventually." Erik said, "Or else he'll die. He knows that. Thrombosis isn't a pleasant thing. Neither is starving to death."

"Would you want to live if it was you?"

Erik thought of himself, thin and weak, confined to a wheel chair. Erik at least would be able to manipulate the wheels, and drag objects to himself. Charles could only read the minds of nurses, knowing that they hated their job and begrudged dressing him and carting him around.

"I would find a reason to live."

Raven seemed to accept this answer.

"We leave at dawn. So I suggest you go get some rest."

Her lip stuck out in a small pout, "I thought I could, um, spend the night with you again?"

Erik had to harden himself, and push the desire to touch her out of his mind. What he wanted to do was pull her close, nuzzle his face into her neck, feel her hands on his shoulders. Instead he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm tired. We have things to do. Better things than acting like animals in heat. Now leave me."

Raven was expressionless, too stunned by his rejection to say anything. She walked by him without a word, slamming the door behind her as she went.

He hated that he had to be so rude to the girl, but if he was to calm his mind, she couldn't be near him. When he was so close to her, all he could think about was what that blue skin looked like in the dark of the night, sweat soaked and heated. Instead he thought of the diamond skinned woman and her cruelty; this made his blood run cold. Perhaps he would get a peaceful rest tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Fire and Water**

Chapter Three

_Erik opened his eyes but was greeted to only darkness. He felt a presence in the room and panicked, trying to feel for the metal objects around him. His sense of magnetism was thrown off though, and he was confused, peering through the dark, trying to make sense of the shadows._

_He heard the distinct sound of scales flipping and focused, now able to see Raven, or at least her orange hair, in the darkness._

_"Raven, dear, what do you want?" he asked._

_"You know what I want, Erik. You know what I came for."_

_Erik gulped down hard, "I told you no already -"_

_"You don't really mean that."_

_Raven was next to him in an instant, her hands on his shoulders. She touched her lips to his temple and he sighed audibly._

_"You're right."_

_He wrapped his arms around her. Luckily there was no pesky clothing between them. He'd gone to bed in the nude, hoping to feel the cool air against him. The room was hot now, overheated in fact, and it drove him over the edge. He pulled her close, running his lips along her collar bone._

_"Where have you been all my life," he muttered, pressing as much of himself as he could against her. _

_"I was waiting for you Erik. I've always been waiting for you."_

_Just as their lips touched, Erik felt a swirling sensation, as if he was being sucked away from her._

Erik sat straight up in bed, panting and sweating, completely disoriented. He was disappointed to see she wasn't there, and instead he was totally alone in his large bed. He was more disturbed to find the remnants of the dream on his stomach, feeling like a teenager once more, unable to control himself.

In his life, bed partners had come and gone. He'd been proud of most of the notches on his bed post because the stories behind them were important. When he wanted to humiliate former Nazis and other enemies of his further he would first seduce their wives or sisters, sometimes even their brothers and sons, and then take great delight as the look of disgust came over them when they put the pieces together. Ever since he was sixteen sex had been used primarily as a measure of manipulation, even more so than a mechanism of simple pleasure. But now with Raven it was different. He'd never felt attraction like this.

After he cleaned himself off, he figured he wasn't going to sleep any more that night. The gold and black suit that McCoy had given him was still in his possession, though now it was beat up and probably useless. Besides, he refused to wear _their _colors. However, he did need something to protect his own skin, at least superficially. Something menacing. Erik grinned, thinking of the picture he'd painted of himself in his mind.

XXX

The next morning, the five mutants met around the dining room table. Angel had awoken early and had run a mile down the road to the general store to get them breakfast. It was only eggs and toast, but it was the first decent meal most of them had ate in a while.

"There's probably decoys," Janos started, "They know there's people after her. Not just us. I doubt they'd keep her in Washington."

"Unless she is because it's so obvious it would be right under our noses." Azazel chimed in, "How do we know they're not using her right now, hmm? To find us?"

Janos shrugged, "I don't feel her here. She would usually let me in on things if she was around. I haven't heard her. Have you? Have any of you?"

They all shook their heads. Janos turned towards Raven.

"Raven, perhaps you could help us. Would you be willing to go undercover and find any files on Frost?"

Raven looked up from her plate, "Oh, yeah I could. That's a good idea."

Erik stiffened. He'd tried to stay away from Raven this morning but he butted in, "That's a highly dangerous mission for a girl so young and inexperienced. We should consider other options."

Janos raised his brow, "Like what? Just go in guns blazing? We don't even know what we're looking for. Raven has a great talent, she should use it."

"I agree." she said, shooting daggers at Erik, "And I'm not so inexperienced. I won't let you guys down."

Erik frowned, "Really, Raven, I -"

"Erik, I'm doing it, okay?" she said, throwing her fork down, "Why am I here if I can't help?"

He was forced to hold his tongue, and sit in angry silence, as they planned their mission.

XXX

"Why are you doing this?" Erik said afterwards when they were safely down the hall, "Putting your life in danger? They'll kill you if they find you!"

"And what's it to you?" she spat at him, "I know what I signed up for."

"I never wanted you to get hurt." he said.

"Oh really?" she shook her head, "Yet you call me an animal and deny me. But you just never wanted to hurt me."

"Me rejecting you is for your own good."

"My own good? All I wanted was a little reassurance, Erik, a little tenderness. But seems like you can't provide that either!"

"You're a real bitch, Raven. You don't even respect me at all!"

"What have you done to deserve my respect!" she screamed, "You fucked me like I was nothing, you took me away from my brother, you ruined my life! I can't go back now!" she sobbed, her tears looking black against her face, "Leave me alone! Just go the fuck away!"

She ran into her room. Erik didn't dare follow her. He went and sat on his own bed, and felt a deep heaviness in his chest. He just wasn't sure what to do anymore.

A/N : A big thank you to all the people following this story :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Fire and Water**

Chapter Four

Sometimes in his dreams he saw people from his childhood. Though it was painful, sometimes his mother came to him. "_I'm so proud of you, Erik,"_ she would say in Yiddish, which they had spoke at home, "_You've grown into such a fine young man." _ She never said anything hurtful to him, and was always so encouraging when he needed it most. In dreams, she was just like she was in life.

Other times, his father would come to him. Yitzhak Lehnsherr had been a gruff man, and spent most of his days at work where he did manual labor. He rarely had a good word for Erik in life, and whenever Erik was feeling down his father would berate him in his dreams. Tonight was no different.

_"She's only a girl, why are you doing this to her?" he said, "You're some kind of idiot, boy, sleeping with her and expecting all this to just go away. I raised a damn _paskudnyak,_ is that it? Are you some kind of pervert, boy?"_

_"No, father! It's not like that -"_

_"Get your head on right." he'd growled, "I should've left a freak like you at the orphanage."_

_"I can make it right, Papa, I can -" Erik cried._

_"Then, go." his father said, "Go tell that girl what she needs to hear."_

Erik opened his eyes, confronted to his own room. Once again he was alone. He stood and paced around his bed, deep in thought. His heart was calling out for Raven, but his head was telling him to stay put. The girl was going undercover for them, for _him_, and he was the one acting ungrateful. He thought about the reality of their situation; she might be dead soon. He couldn't let this end unfinished.

He padded down to her room, the door creaking as he pushed it open. Raven stirred slightly, "Hello?" she mumbled, turning her head towards the door.

"Raven," Erik said, "It's me."

"Erik?" she said confused, "What do you -?"

He came and sat on the bed with her. "I'm sorry," he said, "I'm sorry for what I said earlier and how I've been acting. I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

Though he reached out to embrace her, but she swatted him away. "Go to bed, I'm tired."

"Raven,"

"In the morning, Erik," she hissed, "Now leave."

She rolled over and yawned, falling asleep as easily as she had awoken. For a moment he just sat watching her, listening to her breath. He wondered what she was dreaming about lately, and if she was as upset as he was. Was she dreaming of his harsh words, or possibly the strange events that had befallen her lately? Erik yearned to know every thought passing through her head, and for a moment he truly envied Charles. Charles never had to play a guessing game, and never had to decipher the silent treatment when it was directed at him.

Since she wasn't going to hear him out, Erik ignored his father's advice and dropped the issue for the moment, deciding instead to go outside to catch some fresh air. They had to leave soon anyway, as soon as possible. The house was suffocating and maddening, and it gave Erik the creeps. At least outside he felt a bit better.

It was impossible to tell the exact time, and Erik wasn't wearing his watch, but he knew that somewhere Charles was probably in a fitful slumber. He wasn't wearing his helmet, and half hoped he'd feel the little pull of the other man's presence in his mind. The more he felt for it, the more fleeting it was.

_Here's a confession Charles, I don't know what I'm doing._ Erik thought, sending it out into the universe, wondering if Charles could catch the essence of it somehow. _I'm sorry about your sister. I shouldn't have taken her. She was always yours. Forgive me, for everything._

XXX

At day break they'd gathered, and after joining hands they dissipated into the air. Their destination was a remote bunker in Nevada; one famed for investigating the paranormal and other idiosyncratic cases. Janos had claimed he'd been there once with Shaw, specifically looking for files on other mutants.

The fortress was so isolated that agents and other workers had to be flown to the site. The airfield was bustling with the commuters for the day, mostly men in perfectly pressed suits with large briefcases. Erik pondered at what was in those briefcases, shivering at the thought of surgical knives and other equipment; he'd once been at the mercy of men just like these.

They were hiding behind a walled off area not far from where the jets were landing. "Look," Janos pointed towards a plane where passengers were leaving, "That man, Thomas Rydon. He's in charge of the 'Human Anomalies'. Just about all mutants captured or interrogated go by him. He must have the files."

Raven nodded, "Alright then. Do you know where he's headed?"

Janos thought for a moment, "The building is shaped like a hexagon. He's on the second floor in the most northbound wing, his office at least."

"Then I'll get there." Raven said, turning herself first into a handsome young man in a tailored suit to fit in until she reached a more secluded area.

"Take care of yourself," Erik said, "We've only got one of you."

There was a brief moment of fear in her eyes, but it was quickly gone. "I won't let you down."

And she was off.

XXX

"What was that?" Angel said, turning her head to hear something that none of the others could pick up.

Raven had been gone for less than ten minutes at this point. Erik's heart began to pound, "What?"

"That noise," she said listening, "Shit! It's alarms!"

Sure enough, the alarms were getting louder, as if they were going off one by one in every wing - every wing that someone was running through.

She'd been found! Erik began to panic, his mind kicking in to overdrive. He wasn't going to leave Raven here simply to save his own hide, but he knew he couldn't ask the others to follow him this time. It was simply too dangerous.

Knowing it might be a lost cause, Erik made his final choice. "I'm going in!" he shouted, and ran towards the building. He ripped the locks of the front entrance and quickly pulled the small revolver out of the security guard's hands when he felt it aimed at him.

_Just follow the alarms and you'll find her_, he thought, running as fast as his legs could take him. There were agents staring down the hall in amazement, talking amongst themselves. Some were scared, most were excited. Few noticed the man running, and as far as he could tell, none could see he was manipulating metal. That, at least, was a good thing.

The screeching of the alarms was so loud it made his eardrums thump, but he ignored the pain and continued on. After a myriad of endless hallways, finally he could see at the end of the hall there was a group of SWAT officers holding down a person who looked to be Agent Rydon. Erik knew better, of course. He twisted the barrels of their guns and in one swift motion of his hand, picked them up by their helmets and threw them across the room. He ran to Raven.

"Are you alright?" he said, looking down to see her scales turning back to her normal form.

She only nodded, tears rolling down her face. Erik picked her up, holding her close to him. There was more of the SWAT team coming but he simply rolled his eyes and used their own guns to buck up and knock them out. One hadn't gone down and he felt the bullets spraying towards him. He lifted his hand and deflected them, hearing them fly around him with a distinct _ping_. The gunman gave a cry of surprise and fell to the ground; one of the bullets had bounced back at him, hitting him in a weak spot in his armor. Erik was oblivious to the man's suffering in his final moments, he was too wrapped up in the girl in his arms, hoping she wasn't injured in a severe manner.

Suddenly Azazel appeared in front of them, "What are you, crazy?" he said to Erik, "Drawing more attention to us?" he grabbed the two and teleported back to where Janos and Angel were, quickly grabbing those two as well and taking them all back to their hiding place.

Erik fell to the floor, exhausted, his arms and legs tired and strained, his ears still ringing like crazy. "Oh no," he said, checking her over for wounds or marks, but there was nothing visible. "Did they hurt you? What happened?"

"I'm alright." she said, a little smile on her face, "They just roughed me up."

Sighing, he pulled Raven close, thankful the situation wasn't worse. "If you didn't get any information it's okay, you tried."

She lifted her hand and showed him what was in it. There was a thick file with labeled with a single marker - FROST.

Erik grinned, "That a girl."


	5. Chapter 5

**Fire and Water**

Chapter Five

After the ordeal, Erik had placed Raven in bed, where she slept for six long hours. He and the others poured over the information in the file, looking for anything that could help them. He'd been surprised to see Raven sauntering down the stairs, asking for his help. Turned out her knuckles were scraped and raw, and she was in considerable pain. Raven claimed she just wanted company, but really she wanted Erik to help her clean her wounds. He sat her down on the couch and went at her injuries with some rubbing alcohol.

"Ouch!" she yelped, wincing, as Erik pulled a strip of gauze tight around her knuckles.

"You're lucky that this is the only damage. Those men could've broke your neck or split your head open." he said as he finished wrapping her up, tenderly holding her small hand in his.

"They could've, but they didn't." she said smirking, "Aren't you proud of me?"

"Proud? Yes. I was scared to death though."

"You'll learn to forget that feeling."

Erik looked at her incredulously, "Not if I have to run in and save you every time."

Raven threw her shoulders back, "You won't! I would have found my way out of there!"

"With five men on top of you and dozens more coming through the door?"

She nodded, "I would've snuck out somewhere."

"Well then," Erik shrugged, "You just need more practice. But not without me chaperoning; we can't have a repeat of what happened today, understand? No more solo missions until you can prove you're truly capable of it without help."

"Fine then." she said, "But don't worry. You won't have to be shadowing me for long."

They sat in silence for a moment and Erik realized he still had hold of her hand, her fingers interlaced with his. He slowly pulled himself away.

"So," Raven started, "What did the files say?"

"Ah, the files. Well, it seems the last Agent Rydon knew of her, Emma Frost was being sent to a holding cell in the Pentagon itself. She's being held there for questioning. Actually, the government is attempting to recruit her. Now it's only a matter of whether we get there in time before they give her a position she can't refuse."

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow. Right now the others are scouting out hiding places." Erik laughed, "I should've asked them to find us a nice place in Hawaii."

Raven looked around the living room, "So we're alone?"

"Yes, that's correct."

They were both silent once more. Raven sighed and touched Erik's hand.

"Listen, Erik," she started, "I'm sorry I've been acting shitty. But you know, I get it now. You can't really be involved with someone when you're doing the stuff we're doing. I just - I don't know. I almost killed you today. I wouldn't want that. I - I don't want you to put yourself in danger just for me. So, I guess what I'm saying, is that I don't want anything more from you."

There was a sadness in her eyes, her pupils dilated largely in the dim room making her eyes seem more hazel than their usual yellow. She was beautiful even when she was dejected. Just one of the many things Erik both loved and hated about her.

"I wish I could pretend that there was nothing I wanted from you." he said wistfully.

Raven tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I wish I could devote myself to you fully. Under different circumstances I'd like nothing more than say that you're all mine, only mine. I wish I could make love to you every night and not feel shame. If we didn't have to fight - if I didn't have to think about what would happen to you after my death, it would be different."

A smile came to her lips, "You don't have to worry about what would happen to me. I'd avenge you."

Erik laughed, "I know you would! But what about after that? If you came to care for me, to truly rely on me -"

"I would live my life in your honor, Erik. And I would be grateful for every single day I was with you." Raven said, "It was you who taught me to believe in myself. If nothing else, I am grateful for that, Erik."

She picked his hand up and placed it on her cheek, "You're the only man who thinks this skin is beautiful, but your opinion is the only one that matters to me."

Erik looked away bashfully, "You're making this hard for me."

"Please," she whispered, "Just let me touch you -"

Raven pulled him to her, placing a delicate kiss on his neck. He groaned despite himself, obviously pleasing her, since she continued to run her mouth along his skin. She pulled his shirt off, running her hands down his chest, her mouth soon following. Erik steadied himself by grabbing the arm rest of the couch, feeling as she went lower and lower, her fingers toying with the zipper on his pants.

"No, wait, Raven -" he started, first wanting to push her head away, but she was too swift, and soon her mouth was on his most sensitive region. Erik rolled his head back in ecstasy, his fingers tangled in her orange hair. He groaned loudly as she took all of him in her mouth, her hands pulling at his hips, edging him further in.

Just as he was beginning to lose himself, she suddenly stopped, and sat upright. He hadn't heard the _pfft_ of three people teleporting back into the living room. When he opened his eyes and saw what was happening it took only seconds for it to sink in. "My God!" he screamed, grabbing a pillow to try and cover himself.

"Oh." Azazel muttered, obviously embarrassed, before grabbing the other two and dissipating again.

Erik was bright red and furious, his lips pursed in a scowl. Quickly he tried to pull his pants up but he was interrupted by a huge burst of laughter from Raven.

Through her sputtering laughter she managed to get out, "Uh oh! Guess the living room isn't such a good place for this?"

XXX

Later, as they laid in bed, they both laughed about it.

"I think that will probably be burned into their memories forever." Erik said, still mortified at the thought of it.

"Don't worry, they'll get over it soon. It's just natural after all."

He ran his hand down her side, feeling the warmth of her skin. If they died tomorrow at least he had this one last glorious night with her. She snuggled up against him, rubbing her nose against the soft hair of his chest. That night, for the first time in a long time, he slept without the interruption of unwanted nightmares.

XXX

"I have something to show you." Erik said.

"What is it?"

"Come look."

Raven followed the sound of his voice to his bedroom. He pointed inside his closet; she looked in but didn't see much, only a maroon colored coat.

"I don't get it."

"This coat!" Erik said, "I put metal inside of it - a thin sheet lining in the back and a frame inside. It's to help me float, you see. I tried it a few times. With this, the helmet and the metal soles on my boots I can levitate for long periods at a time."

"All you need now is a cape." Raven said with a smirk.

Erik furrowed his brow, "A cape would be impressive while in flight."

"I was joking!" Raven said, swatting him on the head.

He turned to her, grabbing her around the waist, pulling her close. "We leave in two hours. Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready, Erik."

She stood on her tip toes to kiss him, placing her face between the metal sides of his helmet to get to his lips. She giggled, "Actually, you would look awesome in a cape."

A/N : I think I'm going to be wrapping this up in about two chapters, just an fyi.


	6. Chapter 6

**Fire and Water**

Chapter 6

Emma Frost, long feared and much desired throughout the world, was sitting in front of Erik, sipping a glass of water as if it were priceless champagne. Not far from her was Janos, enraptured by her, glowing in her presence. It didn't take Erik long to figure out why he'd wanted Frost back so badly. Still, she'd explained it to him anyway.

_"Janos and I became closer during our time working under Shaw. We were just waiting for a moment to slip away from him, hopefully once those pesky humans had been obliterated. That's what we were waiting for."_ is what she'd told him when they were in private.

But here she was, retaking her old place as the resident telepath. She narrowed her eyes at Erik.

"That's really rude, you know."

"What?"

"Wearing that helmet right in front of me."

Erik laughed, "It's ruder for you to be probing my thoughts like a little game."

Emma turned at looked at Raven.

"And you must be the shapeshifter? Come, show me something." she demanded.

Raven froze at first, a small _uhh_ escaping her lips as she thought of something to appease Frost's request. She was surprised at her own ability to cover herself in diamonds much the same way Frost could.

"My my, very impressive!" Emma clapped, "You are quite a talented young lady."

"Thank you." Raven said, smiling shyly.

"And what is her name?" Emma said, directing her attention back to Erik.

"It's Raven."

"Actually," Raven butted in, "It's _Mystique_."

"I'm sorry. She is Mystique now, she'd done more than enough to deserve that name."

Emma placed her glass down on the table and gave a sly grin to Janos. "Well then, I think I'll be retiring for the night. Thank you, Erik - er, Magento," she laughed, "Whoever you are! Thank you for everything you've done. I am in debt to you."

"Expect me to call you on that debt." Erik said in all seriousness.

"Actually, I look forward to it," she said. He couldn't tell if she was being sarcastic or not.

XXX

In a few weeks, Erik and Raven had managed to find an intimacy with each other that they'd never experienced with anyone else. They lounged naked around each other, Erik running his fingers along her blue skin and telling her how much he loved it. Raven would then point to his white skin and tell him he was so plain and human looking. They'd laugh and fall into a heap, lips touching any piece of skin they could find.

They'd begun to talk about their past. Erik eventually opened up to her about his childhood in Poland, the reason he'd been at odds with Shaw all these years, and the brutal extent of the experiments conducted on him. On the same token he managed to tell her about the highlights of his youth - his mother's understanding, his burgeoning talents, and the life he'd made for himself after he was liberated from the camp. Raven listened intently and found his stories endlessly interesting.

Raven had told him a few things about her own childhood. Until she met Charles she didn't have any friends and lived a very isolated life. Her mother was ashamed of her and apparently her father had tried to kill her when she was only a few days old. That earliest rejection had ate at her all these years. Even when Charles had introduced her to his mother, suggesting they take her in, Raven had morphed herself into the angelic blonde haired facade she would maintain for years.

_"What a beautiful little girl!"_ Charles' mother had said, _"I always wanted a little girl."_

Raven had got a family, but only through hiding her true resigned herself to it, though. Besides it was better than the alternative, always on the run, no one to care for her. Except now she had Erik to care for her, and he didn't shrink from the sight of her odd colored skin.

They mourned their lost innocence together, finding solace in one another. There was a sense of safety when they were in one another's arms. They didn't have to hide anything.

On this night, the cool breeze licked at their skin as they lay still, sore and spent from a round of love making. Raven was falling asleep, her voice slurred.

"Erik?"

"Mm hmm."

"I want to make a deal."

"Oh yeah?"

"If I don't leave you," she laughed softly, "then you'll never leave me, okay?"

Erik shrugged, "I thought that was understood."

"We've got to be there for each other, us mutants. You're," she said, drifting a little farther towards sleep,"You're all I've got, Erik."

"I know. I know." he said, rubbing her back. "I'd never do that to you, Raven. Raven?"

She was already in a deep sleep, snoring against his neck.


	7. Epilogue

**Fire and Water**

Epilogue

_1992_

As Erik got older, the less and less he dreamed. His parents and former enemies made fewer arrivals when he closed his eyes. When he did dream these days it was usually of the people occupying his life now - young mutants, militant humans and his closest confidants.

Raven still appeared, but rarely as a lover. Over the years they'd become closer than anything, even though their romance had gone sour long ago. But Erik still looked back at those days fondly, remembering how they were both young, both ready to fight this war that would eventually overtake their lives.

In the decades since their meeting Erik had turned into an old man, a stranger to himself when he looked in the mirror. Raven, on the other hand, was still young.

On this particular morning, Erik was quite happy to see Mystique's lean form emerging from darkness. He'd just awoken from a dreamless sleep, worried about her, since she'd just been on a mission to free one of their associates from a military compound.

She slinked towards him, "How are you today?"

"Good as ever." he said, running a hand through his graying hair, "And you my dear?"

"Same." she smiled at him, sitting down across from him. She'd grown into a beautiful woman, more beautiful even than he could've predicted all those years ago.

"I assume it went well?"

"You assume correctly. It went off without a hitch - Mr. Toynbee is back in our hands. He will be joining you soon to tell you of what happened to him."

She came to him and they embraced. This had become a ritual of his, just to prove to himself she was still alive, still breathing. He kissed the top of her head, her hair still wet with sweat, "I was just thinking about your first missions this morning. Do you remember when we retrieved Emma Frost?"

"Of course! I didn't like that woman. Well, still don't."

Erik nodded, "You do know she was very grateful to you, right?"

"She was just grateful to all of us."

He snorted, "A shame then that she came to resent me." a brief look of distress overcame him before it was replaced with his usual calm demeanor, "You don't hate me for the things I've done to you, do you sweet Mystique?"

"Not at all - I'm what I am because of you."

Those words sounded eerily familiar to him.

Even when he was young he knew that Mystique, a near immortal, would eventually tire of him as he aged. He didn't know it would be so soon. As his Brotherhood grew and thirst for power overtook him, right under his nose she began to look at other men. He'd been so caught up in himself he didn't question it or stop it. Soon she stopped coming to his bedroom and he knew she was secretly going to Azazel. Erik gave her up without a fight or even a word.

However, Erik wasn't surprised when her union with Azazel became bitter. As they disputed over their son and went their separate routes, Raven began to retreat to her old ways, seeking attention from anyone who would give it to her. Man or woman, mutant or human, it didn't matter. How many beds did she show up in, naked, telling people she could be anyone, _anything,_ they wanted? How many fell for her in the same fashion he did all those years ago? In those days when he was like fire, raging and burning at the world, Raven coped by becoming water. Erik wore his heart on his sleeve, but Raven was silent, covert, secretive. She would flow into any form she wanted to. Her defense mechanism was to hide, and his was to fight. They were too different to love each other, and they both knew it.

Thirty years went by in the blink of an eye. And through it all, thick and thin, here she was, still his partner in crime. Often times the thought occurred to him, did they stick together because they both mourned the loss of Charles? Did they each fill the gaping void his absence had left in their souls? Charles and Raven had grown up together, and he could see they shared many of the same facial expressions. He would always smile when he saw her eyebrows would raise the same way Charles' did when they were confused. It took him back to those days when the three of them were all together.

"Hmm, well I wouldn't be where I am now were it not for you, Raven," he said. To this day Erik was one of the few people who could utter her birth name and not be punished for it.

"Why is that?"

"You believed in my plight when others chose not to. You left everything you knew to take a chance on me, to help me build my army."

"Erik, please. You would've found someone equally suitable for the job. And don't forget I wasn't the only mutant to accompany you."

"Someone else? Who else would've stayed at my side the way you have?"

Raven grinned, "Charles, maybe."

"Don't mock me." Erik said, giving her a tap on the back.

"I'm only joking. I was glad to do it. I don't regret the time I've spent with you."

Erik pulled her closer. She was so many things to him. His partner. His confidant. Once she had been his lover, and now she was his closest friend. It was the type of thing that comes but once in a lifetime, one person you can have forever. Where Charles had failed him, Raven had far exceeded all of his expectations.

"There is much time ahead of us still, Mystique. There is much work to be done! Now, would you please bring me Mr. Toad? We have some things to talk about."

A/N : There's a loose sequel I'm writing called 'Mockingbird' which is to be published soon. No, that's not a shameless pimp. Thanks for reading!


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